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Chapter Twenty – We Grow Stronger

"...Left foot, right foot, pick it up again

Pick it up again... Pick it up again...

We grow stronger..."

– Flatfoot 56

It was dark.

It was dark everywhere.

'What's happening?'

"Ms. Roe?"

She could make out a bright spot. Wincing, she croaked up at it, "What's happening?"

"Ms. Roe? Can you open your eyes for me?"

Rosie could only force her eyelids to widen slightly.

"There you are. Good timing..." An older woman with kind hazel eyes, wearing a doctor's coat smiled down at her, "I'm Doctor Reeser. You've had an eventful afternoon Ms. Roe. Can you tell me what day it is?" Rosie's mind was still reeling, she didn't respond causing the doctor to don a worried expression and go on, "Can you follow the light for me please?"

She waved a pen light in front of Rosie's eyes. "Wha-" Rosie struggled to understand before it all came back to her. "ABEL!" She sat up, only to be hit by an intense head rush and a pair of hands pushing her to lay back down. 'I need to call Maise. I need to find Abel.' Rosie's mind protested though her body really wasn't putting up much resistance to the pushing. All of her strength seemed to have drained out of her, she was only just able to wrap her arms around her middle. 'Oh god... please, please, please.'

"Whoa! Ms. Roe. You've through quite an ordeal. You fainted, been passed out for over an hour now..."

"Abel. Where's Abel?" Rosie put all of her energy into focusing on him, though her arms managed to wind tighter around herself. Her head felt like a literal 100 pound weight was resting on top of it.

"He's doing fine. You did a good job keeping that man from landing on top of him from what I hear. That man..." Dr. Reeser pursed her lips in disapproval,"... he was a big fellow for you to take down too."

The young mother was vaguely aware of a mechanical whir as the doctor raised the top half of the hospital bed to prop up Rosie into a reclining position. "I need to see him." Rosie blurted out.

"He hit his head on the pavement I think."

"What?" The sound of rapid beeping filled the room, for the first time Rosie realized that she was attached to a heart monitor, but that was the last thing on her mind at the moment, "You just said he was ok!" Rosie all but shrieked, her hazel eyes wide with fear.

"Oh!" The older doctor held her hand over mouth, her gaze completely apologetic, "My dear, I'm so sorry. I meant the man who attacked you hit his head. Your son is fine, completely healthy. He should be out of the PICU soon."

Rosie felt her pulse spike again. "The PICU? Why's he in there?"

"I promise it's nothing to be worried about. It was thought best to monitor him for a little while because of his pre-existing conditions, that's all." Dr. Reeser gave Rosie a reassuring smile, "Speaking of which do you have any conditions we should be aware of? You look like you might be anemic but I couldn't start you on anything until..."

"He's fine..." Rosie breathed, trying to calm her heart. "Oh Jesus..." Everything that had happened was roaring through her head. "I want him here. I need to see him." She faced the doctor, her whole being pleading. 'I want them all here. Maise and Abel and Ja...'

There was a knock on the door to the brightly lit hospital room.

A clean cut timid looking officer stepped into the room without invitation.

"Sorry to bother you, Ms. Roe." He addressed Rosie softly closing the room's door as he entered, "I'm Deputy Police Chief Hale, if you're up for it I've got some questions I'd like to ask you about what transpired today." He turned to the doctor. "As long as you're all done for now."

"Your vitals look good, so it's up to you." The doctor said to Rosie in a supportive manner, "Though I imagine you have an awful headache."

"Um..." Rosie's neck strained as she glanced between the doctor and the officer, feeling very uncertain. All she knew was that she wanted her babies, everything else was fuzzy. "I don't know what help I'll be but if it's for Abel I'll try."

"All right." Dr. Reeser squeezed Rosie shoulder, with another kind smile, "I'll check on your labs and see what I can do about getting your son down here."

Rosie was so relieved she didn't even bother correcting the doctor as the older woman went to leave the room. Instead she said what she felt, "Thank you."

Once Dr. Reeser was gone the brown-haired officer faced Rosie with an interrogative look, "Son?"

Rosie tugged on the necklace around her throat, fiddling with Tony's ring as she did. Her life with her father and with Erza had given her no reason to play nice when being questioned by cops, but for Abel's sake and the sake of her new start in this town she decided to be as polite as possible.

"We're very close." She offered shortly.

"Uh huh..." Hale eyed her thoughtfully, with a slow nod.

Brushing past his inspection, Rosie asked, "How can I help?"

"Well..." the officer paused while he took a notepad and pen out of his uniform's shirt pocket, obviously agreeing to allow the son subject to slid "...we've already got Hayes in custody."

Rosie frowned, "Hayes?"

"Yes. Cameron Hayes the man you tackled to the ground." Hale looked at her with what seemed like admiration for a moment, "Well done by the way."

Her hand clenched around Tony's ring now. "Aim low, keep driving your feet..." Rosie mumbled, her eyes aimlessly trying to make sense of what had happened earlier in the day. Her thoughts kept going to Abel and Maise and then back again. 'How long will it be?'

"Football star in another life?" The officer asked lightheartedly breaking the worried mother's train of thought.

She shook her head as gently as she could because it was still throbbing, "My dad thought he should prepare me... just in case." Rosie looked at Hale with a sad snort, "Never really saw occasion to use it before now."

"I'd say you did pretty well for your first time." He gave her a soft smile in return, before shifting his feet and hardening the tone of his voice, "Now, what can you tell me about what happened?"

Rosie shrugged, noticing her shoulders were sore when she did. "Not much. I went over to the house..."

"Jackson Teller's house?"

Rosie's heart thudded, she looked at the door. She wanted to get to Abel so badly it was physical hurting her. "Um. Yeah and..."

"And about time was this?"

"I don't know about 2? Maybe 2:30?"

"All right and why were you there?"

"I... ah, I watch Abel some days..."

'On most days.' She corrected herself internally, before pushing on, "And I left my wallet in his diaper bag and..."

"Why would you put your wallet in his diaper bag?"

Rosie raised an eyebrow at the young square jawed officer. "You don't have kids do you?" She remembered how scatter-brained she'd been on the night Abel had gotten sick. She had just shoved whatever she could think of into the nearest bag she could find at the time. It wasn't her fault that Jac... that he had walked out without giving her a chance to figure out what was happening. It wasn't her fault that she really hadn't taken too much interest in buying anything since that night...

"Don't see how that's relevant." The officer's brow furrowed.

"It's just hard to keep things straight sometimes when your juggling kids that's all." Rosie heard a noise in the hall, she watched the door with hopeful eyes but no one came through.

"Ms. Roe?"

Rosie blinked and realized she'd missed what Hale had asked her. "Sorry, I just..."

"I understand. This must have been a stressful day for you. Just a few more questions..." He checked over what he'd written already as he continued, "Did Mr. Teller know you were coming over?"

"I tried calling him but..." Rosie wanted to scoff but she managed to control herself, "...he's difficult to reach sometimes."

"So you just headed over there?"

Rosie shrugged again, "Guess I was hoping for the best."

'Yeah... that he wouldn't be home and would somehow have left behind the diaper bag and not have changed the hiding spot for his key...'

"Now, you said you arrived at Teller's house at about 2?"

"Yeah." Rosie sighed, squinting as she tried to recall what had happened. "Then he... 'Hayes' came out of the house with..." Rosie's voice cracked and water filled her eyes, "... with Abel in his arms. At first all I saw was Abel, and then... Oh god, then all I saw was the gun and all I could think was 'how do I get Abel as far away from that thing as I can?'" Rosie placed a hand across her hips.

'Please, please, please...' She didn't even know what she was wishing for anymore. She was just relieved that Abel was safe and Maise was with Molly. Though she would have been more relived if they were both with her now.

"Then?" Hale probed.

Sniffing Rosie responded, "Then it's sort of a blur. He kept talking about his son being killed." Her brow knit together as she attempted to make herself remember more, "I tried to reason with him while he pointed the gun at me but then he pointed it a-at Abel and then at himself. And I just..."

"He tried to kill himself?"

"I don't know. I just ran at him when he did that."

"Was Abel in his arms?"

"No." She spoke, as she pieced the events together, "He'd put Abel down."

"Why?"

Rosie bit her lip and squeezed herself harder. "It must have been something I said or maybe he just changed his mind. I can't remember. Like I said it was a blur. I don't know about what happened after that point."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. The Doctor said I fainted."

"You fainted?"

The light haired woman nodded, "Just woke up before you got here actually..."

"Really?" He gave her an incredulous look, "That's how long it took me to get most of the witness statements... must have been... What?" The officer checked his watch, "An hour." He looked up at her with surprise. "And you're ok?"

"That's what she said..." Rosie trailed off, a smile cracked over her lips when she glanced over Hale's shoulder to see the doctor in the window of the door. It was clear that she was holding something. The older woman knocked then entered causing Hale to open the door the rest of the way for her.

It was everything Rosie could do not to leap out of the bed, so she just held out her hands, a task which took much more effort than she realized it would. She felt a little flushed.

"Just sit back, I'll bring him to you." The doctor offered kindly, having taken note of the change in Rosie's colour.

As soon as Abel was in her hold Rosie knew she had to have looked like an insane woman. He was heavier in her weakened arms, but she couldn't care less. He was there. Perfect in every way, smiling that smile with his big blue eyes. "Hey little man..." she choked out with a tearful smile. "You scared me." She began unwrapping the blanket around Abel and undoing his onesie. Rosie could hear Hale and the Doctor exchanging words and the sound of the door shutting as Hale left but her focus was intently on Abel. She checked every inch of him she could for any marks or damage. She kissed his little pink fists in gratitude when she found nothing wrong.

"I told you he's fine." The doctor said softly, "He's a very strong boy."

"Yes he is," Rosie smiled wetly down at her Abel with pride.

"I don't know if I can say the same for you though Ms. Roe." The woman's voice grew serious.

Rosie tore her eyes away from Abel, her grip on him still firm.

"What do you mean?" She asked, noticing for the first time the doctor was holding and flipping through an open file.

"You are incredibly anemic Ms. Roe. It's any wonder you haven't collapsed before now."

The young mother remembered scolding Abel's father for his diet and couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she responded, "I guess I haven't really been paying attention to what I've been eating lately."

"Well, I suggest you start Ms. Roe."

"You're right." Rosie gave Dr. Reeser a determined smile. "I will. My kids need me to be healthy for them."

"I'm glad to hear that." The doctor replied her kind tone returning to her voice, "Now... do you know how many weeks along you are?"

Rosie's stomach dropped out. "What?" She spoke hardly above whisper.

The older woman's brow furrowed, as she read through the chart once more, "You're pregnant Ms. Roe."

Rosie's breathing became shallow, her throat felt constricted, she tried to see Abel past the stars clouding her vision.

"You didn't know?"

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Rosie kept her eyes glued to Abel's addictive smile. She felt a gentle upwards pull at the corner of her mouth the longer she looked at his sweet face, "I knew."

It had to have been more than a half an hour by this point.

Jax had been trying to keep his cool, but it wasn't working out so great.

'They said it wasn't too bad, a fifteen minutes maybe...'

His blue eyes scanned the hallway once more. 'Why the fuck are they still there then?'

He had ditched his cut. He just looked like a concerned relative waiting around... waiting around for the fucking hallway to be fucking cleared.

Jax was still in shock though he had only admitted it to himself briefly.

He had pushed it aside.

That shit was useless at times like these.

He had to focus. This wasn't meant to be their life.

Abel. Maise. Rosie. Hell! Tara too. Even if she thought she had known what she'd been signing up for.

He was meant to keep this from happening. His home of all places was meant to be safe.

Jax's teeth gritted together and his nostrils flared as he considered what could have happened.

When he saw Rosie and Abel laying there on his front lawn he honestly felt as though he were dying. He had heard the sound of a shot just when they'd turned the corner on to his street, but he had felt the impact right in his chest. His first thought had been Abel, then Tara and his mother he hadn't expected Rosie to be anywhere near there.

As soon as he saw her his eyes had immediately searched for Maise, before remembering she was safe and despite himself he was happy she was away.

He wasn't sure how it had all gone down after that. He knew he had Abel in his arms while he'd been trying to assess the what had happened to Rosie. But that hadn't been working and she wasn't waking up.

His Rosie, who he was meant to keep safe, wasn't waking up.

Tig had taken Abel and Jax had turned Rosie over to take off her oversized sweater to see if she'd even been so much as skimmed by a bullet, but thankfully she wasn't injured except for a small cut above her eyebrow and bruise he could make out on her forming on her right shoulder under the strap of her tank top. She seemed fine but she was so pale and she wasn't waking up.

He could hear that goddamn Irish cunt groaning on the ground, but she wasn't waking up.

"Fuck!" Jax let out under his frustrated breath. A part of him wished that he hadn't been so concerned with Rosie, that he had gotten his hands on that asshole before ATF had shown up.

The blond biker paused to think about that for a moment. He saw Rosie's lifeless body flash before his eyes and he knew then that he couldn't have done anything other than what he had done.

It was as though his brain had shut off, he had operated on fear again, but it had felt different. It had felt real in a way that it hadn't ever before.

'It not just your world...' her words echoed in his head.

He sighed, his thoughts turning to Tara... he had tried to talk to her in the hospital, but Hale had stepped in, saying she had asked that he leave her alone. She hadn't looked in his direction once from the gurney or answered any of his calls once she'd left the ER.

Abel was in the PICU and yet again Jax could barely bring himself to see his son like that. That pain still went too deep.

And Rosie... she hadn't woken up yet.

Jax scraped his rough hands over his face. 'Why did this happen? How had Hayes found them? What was she even doing there?'

There was a whirlwind of emotions running through him. He was grateful Abel and Tara were safe, he was grateful that his Ro- she was safe, he was mad she had put herself in danger, he was happy she had been there to save his son, he was... he was just glad it was over.

The sound of movement down the hall drew his attention, '...Almost over.'

He made his way through the hall towards the now unguarded door of the sparsely lit room he'd been waiting to enter.

"Thank Holy Chirst. I think I need more..." The room's single occupant stopped speaking mid-sentence when he saw who exactly had come into his room. His eyes widened as he looked from Jax then down to his own wrists currently cuffed to the sides of the hospital bed that he was laying. He made a fast reach for the call button just within his grasp, but Jax was faster.

"Wouldn't want you hurting yourself." The Jax said darkly, dropping the device on the bed by the whimpering traitor's feet. Zobelle had gotten away but at least Jax could do this one thing right today.

The blowback from the Irish would be minimal if anything at all. This was to be expected, even if the Kings would rather have handled their own rat in their own way.

Clay had suggested Jax be accompanied, but this was something he needed to do alone. He had been owed twenty minutes, '...more than enough time.'

"Please..." the sniveling Irishman begged, an act which actually caused Jax's features to lighten for a moment.

"You really think you're in a position to be lookin' for mercy?" The biker question, darkly, before changing his tone, "My son and old lady are in the hospital because of your disgusting pussy ass!"

"Please... my... I was just trying to... Your mother killed my boy."

Up to that point Jax had been nodding along unsympathetically waiting to see what the whimpering man in front of him would come up with, however he had not been expecting that.

"What did you say?" The young father asked quietly.

"Gemma shot my Edmond." The crying man chin hit against his chest as bent his head to he weep, "My little boy in cold blood."

"Gemma would never do that." Jax's stated, lips barely moving while his mind ran wild.

"Aye." Hayes nodded sadly, "But that she did. Heard it called in on the police scanner myself."

Jax had to take a minute to process what he was hearing. "Who called it in?"

"I don't know..." Jax sent him a look that told the man he wasn't impressed with that answer, causing Cameron to hurriedly add, "It- it was Stahl!"

The biker scoffed, "You honestly trust a word that whore says?"

"I- I just heard it and I snapped." Cameron carried on brokenly, "Father to father Jax. Surely you can understand."

Jax felt his rage boil up inside of him. "I can actually," the biker leaned in close causing the Irish mess to shrink further into the bed "... because you're the piece of shit that tried to take my son from me today."

"Please! A boy for a boy that's all I was thinking." The Irishman voice quivered, a sheen of sweat developing on his forehead, "I was looking for you but you weren't there an-and then I saw your son and..."

"He's a baby!" Jax shouted in the older man's face causing him to jerk back in fear.

"I-I kn-know." Hayes swallowed thickly. "He's a sweet babe. I didn't want to hurt him. That's why I put him down when I went to-" He paused to shake his head, "Sweet Jesus, help me... when I went to kill myself."

"What?" For the second Jax found himself surprised by what Hayes was telling him.

"She... that woman... I couldn't take your son with me after that. My boy was all I had..." The older man closed his water rimmed eyes, "I wanted to end it all but she stopped me again."

The biker's face wrinkled in confused curiosity, "What do you mean 'stopped' you again?"

"She rammed straight into me." Cameron sniffed, opening his watery blue eyes, "Knocked me straight on to my arse."

"No, you fucking scumbag, I mean what did she do to stop you from taking Abel to begin with?" Jax bit out with no patience.

"She said... she said she was sorry for my Eddie but that I couldn't take her son from her. She asked what the purpose would be..." New tears were streaming down Hayes' face now, "Would it bring Edmond back?" He hiccuped, "She asked if I really wanted to steal a child away from his home." Cameron had closed his eyes, water kept seeping out from the edges as he went on. "She said her baby would need it's big brother."

Jax stared intensely at the weeping man's face. He had been determined not to let his resolve weaken but at that point he need to take a step back. His brain was in a fog as Hayes kept rambling on.

'Big brother.' The biker turned the phrase over in his mind. 'That couldn't have been his Maise she was talking about.'

Jax thought back to that night months ago and then to that tattered cardboard box he had stolen out of her bedroom some weeks ago. 'That's gotta mean...'

He thought of Maise, he thought of Abel and he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his cheeks.

"Big brother..."

Ta da!

Hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think.

I'll definitely do my best to update as soon as I can.